Chapter 39 #2
“I hope it works out in Xavier’s favor, to be honest. He already lost his life, and I think we owe it to him to find out the truth about who killed him.
Before we meet with Scott, I would like to discuss the leadership changes moving forward.
I want everyone to have an equal say and if someone is to be locked up or extinguished then we all decide.
We all weigh the options and voice our opinions.
We are heard, we listen, and we work together to figure it out. ”
Over the next hour we threw ideas back and forth, deciding when to call everyone together and what things could be handled over the phone or video.
We concluded that we would convene on big issues as they arose, and we would meet quarterly to discuss any outstanding cases or topics that may need attention.
We came to an agreement that our seconds in command would take on a larger role within The Order to give each of us a little more flexibility.
Things were starting to come together, and we were meeting in the middle to see the best path forward.
Along with the four meetings a year we agreed to have one of them be more of a trip.
It would serve as a sort of retreat. We would go on a trip for a few days together to bond and strengthen our relationships.
All of us agreed that we needed to be able to trust one another and know that the end goal was always the same.
This trip once a year would focus on that aspect of the organization; building the solid foundation from the ground up.
After the hour was over and we explored all of the obvious topics that come with redistribution of power, it was concluded that I would continue to run the day to day of the organization due to the fact that I had no population of cryptids to oversee.
I didn’t control humans; I just needed to work to keep them ignorant of the fact that cryptids existed at all.
We called Bonnie and had her write down the things that we wanted to add into the bylaws. When we finished it was close to three o’clock. We all got up from our chairs to stretch our legs and refill our drinks. Bonnie gathered the paperwork together and walked toward the door to let herself out.
“I will get this cleaned up and typed out so everyone can have a copy before they leave Friday.”
“Thank you, Bonnie, I appreciate it.”
When she was out the door, I grabbed a bag of chips, a granola bar, and a glass of iced tea and retook my seat at the table. I needed to let my brain rest before we started in again.
* * *
The five of us sat around the enormous table, facing a lone chair located on the other side. The door opened and two men from the security team escorted Scott into the room.
“Please have a seat, Mr. Stephens,” I instructed.
Scott took a seat in the chair. There was a glass of water that sat in front of him, and he immediately took a sip. Maddox nodded at his men, and they exited the room, shutting the door behind them. I began to get down to business, right away.
“Okay Scott, what we need for you to do is tell all of us the circumstances of how Xavier died. We ask that you don’t leave anything out and that you do your best to recollect as many details as possible, trying not to leave anything out.
We understand that it has been many years since his death, but we value your cooperation in this matter. ”
“I already told you everything when we went to lunch. I don’t understand why I need to keep reliving the death of my partner.”
“I listened to your retelling of events and now I want you to tell it one more time for everyone in this room.”
“If Ray was still alive all this nonsense wouldn’t even be happening.”
“Well, he is not here and let me assure you that however much you wish he were still alive—I wish it more. Lest you forget he was my grandfather.”
“I apologize, Ms. Lawson. I didn’t think before I spoke.”
“That was very obvious. Now, moving along, I would like for you to retell your version of events.”
“Very well.”
He sat for a moment; I assumed, collecting his thoughts. He took another drink of water and then cleared his throat and began to speak.
“Xavier and I went to Columbia to investigate a group of rogue vampires that were disturbing the area. Our job was to figure out who these vampires were and who was responsible for them.”
“Did The Order send you to Columbia?” Oscar asked, cutting off Scott.
“Yes, we needed to address the issue before humans started to notice things that they shouldn’t.
We were told to isolate the problem and find out who was responsible.
So, when we got down there, we began by doing surveillance and trying to figure out where the group was holding up.
We figured if we found out that information, we could figure out who made them.
After a few days we had worked out that none of these vampires were documented and that they were created by Alexander. ”
“How did you find out that Alexander was the vampire responsible?” Caspien piped up, wanting him to elaborate further.
“Well, we rented a hotel room in an area that they were frequenting, keeping track of their comings and goings. We touched base with a couple of the local establishments that were known to entertain vampires. All the intel that we collected ended up leading us to an abandoned estate located in a rural area bordering the forest—jungle if I’m being honest. It was surrounded by wildlife and lots of trees and plants.
The house itself was extremely well hidden due to overgrowth and the property being uninhabited for so long. ”
“Did you do any recon to find out what was going on inside the estate? What did the locals tell you?” Maddox surprised me when he spoke up.
The man usually remained so quiet and just observed.
However, he was the leader of all vampires in this moment, not my head of security.
I knew this was personal to him. It wasn’t just business, and from the way everyone acted about the situation as a whole, it sort of felt as though it was personal to everyone.
Xavier must have been a good man that left a lasting impression on these extraordinary individuals.
“We never got a chance to do any investigating on the property. The locals never mentioned Alexander; only the rowdy group of young hoodlums that were running around town wreaking havoc.”
“You never got the chance to investigate further? Why’s that?” Oscar asked.
“Well, almost as soon as we found out it was Alexander, Xavier left me in the hotel with some lame ass excuse about running to get breakfast. When he didn’t return, I had a feeling he went to meet with Alexander.
So, I decided to go to the estate and try to get close enough to figure out what was going on. ”
“How did you figure out it was Alexander if the locals never mentioned him? Forgive me, I’m confused,” I asked, wanting to connect the dots and not seeing the way.
“We were undercover at a club just watching a few of the vamps. We followed one outside and caught him off-guard without his friends. Xavier did the talking and sort of just acted like he was new in the area and wanted to find out who the big guy was around town. It’s normal for a hierarchy to be in place.
There is a vampire that reigns over the rest in a given area.
He named Alexander as the one in charge. ”
“Please try not to leave things out; holes in your story will not bode well for you. So, when Xavier left and didn’t return, did you try to call him before you went out looking for him?” I asked.
“No, I just went to the estate and parked further away and went in on foot. I heard yelling and fighting, so I ducked down and got as close to the commotion as I could. When it sounded like they were moving away from where I was hiding, I risked standing a little to get a better view. What I saw was Xavier lying on the ground dead. There were three other vampires lying near his body; also dead. I called headquarters and was able to recover his body.”
“What about Alexander and the rogue vampires?” Matthew asked. “Did you find them after they murdered Xavier?”
Scott took another sip of water from his glass. He was thinking; I could see his eyes going upwards like he was searching for the answer in his brain. I knew he was lying, and I was beginning to lose my patience.
“I would be stupid to try to get closer. I am only a human and that would be utter suicide. I’m brave but I am not stupid.”
“So, I have a question; since you’re not stupid,” I said pointedly.
“What’s the question?” I could feel his cockiness.
He preferred when the men were the ones asking the questions. That part made me like him even less.
“When you retold the story the first time to Ronan and Maddox, you told us that you followed Xavier and Alexander. That Xavier got into a car with Alexander. This time you said that you just knew he was at the estate.”
“Oh yeah, I did follow Xavier. After twenty-three years the details can get a little foggy.”
“You made both of the statements without any hesitation or barely a pause for mental recollection in the last ten days. Those statements directly contradict one another.”
“Forgive me, I am getting old, and I don’t have the luxury of being immortal.”
“Apparently neither did Xavier,” I said, looking Scott in his eyes. “Does anyone else have any questions for Mr. Stephens?”
No one spoke a word. They sat there in silence studying the face of the man across from them. “Well, thank you so much, Scott. I don’t believe we need anything else from you at this time.”
“Come take Scott back to his room please,” Maddox spoke into his cell phone.
A few moments later the door opened and the same men that brought Scott into the room were now ushering him out into the hall and shutting the door behind them.
“So, what did the rest of you conclude, if anything, from his recount?” I asked, looking at the team of people sitting with me.